The PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology

Close links to strong academic communities

PhD work at the Faculty of Science and Technology is anchored in the departments' active research communities in fields including mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer and information science, and the earth and biological sciences. As a candidate, you are affiliated with a department and a research group that provide the academic framework for your project.

A clearly organised PhD programme

The faculty has overall coordinating responsibility for the research training. The programme board ensures that the PhD programme is organised and carried out to a high standard, and that requirements for supervision, progress and evaluation are followed.

Funded doctorate as the main model

The PhD education is organised as a full-time programme in which the doctoral work makes up the main part of the time. The standard timeframe is three years, with two and a half years set aside for thesis work.

Research schools and academic breadth

The PhD programme includes affiliation with research schools, which provide access to courses, academic gatherings and networks across departments and fields. This contributes to methodological and theoretical breadth during the programme.

Career support through UiB Ferd

As a PhD candidate, you are part of UiB's shared career programme for early career researchers. UiB Ferd offers courses, guidance and activities that support career development, both within and outside academia.

Research work

The main part of the PhD programme is an independent research project that results in a scientific thesis. The thesis can be article-based or a monograph, and the work is normally two and a half years. You are affiliated with a department and receive individual supervision. Read more about the requirements for the thesis. (external link)

Training component

The training component comprises a minimum of 30 ECTS credits and must be completed before submitting the thesis. It consists of a mandatory and an elective part, and may include courses at UiB, research schools and relevant external courses. Read more about the training component. (external link)

Dissemination and the public defence

Once the thesis is completed and approved, submission, assessment, a trial lecture and a public defence follow. These steps are regulated through the PhD regulations and the faculty's programme description. Read more about submission and assessment. (external link)

PhD candidates are an integrated part of the departments' academic communities and take part in seminars, courses and other academic activities where relevant. Contact the PhD coordinator at your department for more information on what is available to you.

You can be admitted to the PhD programme in two main ways:

• through appointment to an advertised PhD fellowship position
• with external funding

Admission requires a relevant master's degree, funding for the whole period, and a supervision agreement. Specific rules and deadlines apply for admission, and international applicants may need to document English language proficiency.

See admission requirements (external link), application form and agreements (external link), and vacant PhD fellowship positions on Jobbnorge (external link).

All PhD candidates are affiliated with a department and a research group. To find communities that suit you, you can explore:

• Research groups
• Research projects
• Research centres
• Core facilities at the faculty